We bought a new bed about 5 years ago, and thought it would last us for a long time. It is a little bit saggy now, and I think I notice it only because my body is kind of achy. Our funds are a little tight now, so I don't really want to replace the bed at this time. Plus, I'm always confused as to what type of bed to get. I'm so afraid we'll choose something and not like it.

What beds seem to work best for people with scoliosis? Has anyone ever tried the Tempur-pedic beds? How about the "memory foam" mattress topper pads? Are water-beds any good for the aches/pains associated with scoliosis?

Thanks,
Donna

LindaRacine

10-13-2004, 11:58 AM

Hi Donna...

You might want to try doing a search on BED here. There have been other discussions on the topic. :-)

Regards,
Linda

dsal

10-13-2004, 12:12 PM

Thanks, Linda. I went to the search, and ironically the search would not let me search "bed" because it's under four letters long!! I searched "beds," and did find posts. Most of them were about whether or not someone should get a hospital bed after surgery. It was worth a try, though!

I'm still interested in anyone who has a mattress to recommend. Thanks again!!

Donna

LindaRacine

10-13-2004, 12:27 PM

Hi Donna...

Sorry about that. I'd recap what I've heard from others as most people agreeing that a good quality, soft mattress is the most comfortable. A few people like really hard surfaces, but that's fairly rare. The memory foam mattress toppers are a good way to figure out if that will help you. You can get reasonably priced mattress toppers at QVC (http://www.qvc.com) or Bed, Baths, and Beyond (http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/product.asp?order_num=-1&SKU=101500_. (One caveat... if you're in the stage of life where you're having hot flashes or night sweats, you probably won't like the memory foam toppers, as they retain heat.) My recommendation would be to get the thickest topper available.

I had A/P surgery in April 2004. After the surgery I was very uncomfortable in bed, my husband went out and bought the memory foam mattress topper. I love it. It is very comfortable over my firm mattress. Theresa

lrmb

10-13-2004, 10:37 PM

Hi Donna,

I had terrible aggravation of my chronic pain last year from bad beds. I recently decided to invest in Tempurpedic and am currently trying out the bed on their 90-day free trial program. It is one of the few beds I do not experience pain in when I lie down (the pain is most likely from a degenerative disk).

Tempurpedic is very expensive, but I've noticed that if you keep an eye on local ads, there is usually a local mattress warehouse or store that has very low / free financing even on Tempurpedic products.

You could look at the Tempurpedic website or a local store and see if there is a trial period for mattress toppers as well as the beds...

Good luck! ~Laura

p.s. The first six weeks in my new bed corresponded with my lowest pain level in a year. Since I also started another treatment around this time, it's hard to say whether the improvement was directly related to the bed. Right now I'm having a flare and am not entirely pain free in the bed. But it is still much better than in the old bed.

dsal

10-14-2004, 07:51 AM

Do they actually make the mattress toppers, too? I knew that other manufacturers make those, but I didn't know that Temper pedic did....I thought they only made the beds (and pillows, etc.).

Just curious: I've read about the trial period. How exactly does that work? If someone were to try out the mattress and then not like it, are there any fees involved with returning it? And, I'm wondering, what does the Temper Pedic company do with returned mattresses? (Hopefully they don't resell them, right?)

Thanks,
Donna

dsal

10-14-2004, 07:52 AM

Also, does anyone know if water beds are any good for Scoliosis backs?

Karen Ocker

10-14-2004, 04:09 PM

I got a Select Comfort(adjustable air mattress) well before my revision. I found it useful before the surgery and in the recovery period. I do have it topped with a foam pad. I like the fact that I can adjust the hardness at will and my husband's side can be adjusted to his liking. It also allows a trial period. I have a platform bed with no box spring.
Karen

LindaRacine

10-14-2004, 04:32 PM

Hi Donna...

Yes, TempurPedic makes mattress toppers. There's is 1" thick. You can see one here:

They're quite a bit more expensive than the other memory foam mattress pads, and I can't really tell any difference in quality.

Regards,
Linda

lrmb

10-14-2004, 09:58 PM

Hi! Tempurpedic delivers the bed, if you don't like it after 90 days they come and pick it up again. You do not get reimbursed the delivery fee ($159) but you don't pay anything else. I don't know what they do with the returned beds! When I called their info line, the people were very informative.

I haven't experienced the mattress toppers, only the full bed. (Incidentally, I also sleep very well on Aerobeds. Strange.)

People seem to have different experiences with Tempurpedic. I am doing well with it do far, but somebody else I know said she prefers a bed made by a company called Duxiana, which is cheaper. Somebody else I know hates Tempurpedic! So it definitely depends on the person.